Hamlet (Ian McKellan) with the skull of Yorick, Theatre Royal Windsor 2021
© Donald Cooper/Photostage
Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) referred to Shakespeare more than any other writer, citing his plays over a hundred times. With 40% of Freud’s mentions relating to Hamlet, this article looks at how his ideas can shed light on the play.
Hamlet played a crucial part in the development of Freud’s thinking and in the creation of psychoanalysis itself. On 15 October 1897, Freud had a breakthrough moment:
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